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Hockey

Ducks defeat Predators 3-2 in overtime

Anaheim Ducks centre Andrew Cogliano (7) celebrates with goalie John Gibson (36) after defeating the Nashville Predators in overtime of Game 4 of the Western Conference final in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday, May 18, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. The Ducks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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The Anaheim Ducks, who had blown a third period lead in a 2-1 loss on Tuesday, had looked tired as they struggled to match their opponents’ pace of play. But rather than bag-skate the team or drill the players to death in what they did wrong, he chose to give them the day off. A couple of days, really.

The Ducks did not skate on Wednesday — instead they spent the day playing darts and shooting pool — and held an optional skate prior to Game 4, where the emphasis was on “optional.” The idea was to put more fuel in the tank.

Carlyle, who said he asked his players for an extra 10%, didn’t want any wasted energy. Better to save it for when it mattered the most.

“I don't think we've had the emotional level we've had previously in the game the other night,” Carlyle had said. “And there were too many check points from my perspective that I felt the number one thing that we needed to prepare ourselves for tonight was rest.”

The Ducks team needed that extra rest on Thursday, in what was a wild game of momentum swings. Anaheim gave up a two-goal lead in the third period, but still had enough in the tank to defeat Nashville 3-2 in overtime.

Nate Thompson was initially credited with the winner at 10:25 in overtime, though it looked like the pass that Corey Perry sent on net from the corner redirected off Nashville defenceman P.K. Subban. Either way, it was crisis averted for the Ducks, who go home with the best-of-seven Western Conference series tied rather than down 3-1.

Game 5 is in Anaheim on Saturday.

“I’ll take it,” said Perry, who added the day off played a part in the win. “It was something that we needed and we responded fairly well.”

It was the first home loss of the playoffs for the Predators, who in case you were wondering had practised on Wednesday and skated prior to Game 4. And though they mounted a heck of a comeback in the third period and nearly pulled off the impossible, the first 20 minutes were probably their worst of the playoffs.

Then again, Nashville had been long overdue for a stinker.

The Predators had swept the Blackhawks in the first round and overpowered the St. Louis Blues in the second round. Heading into Game 4, they not only had never lost at home but also had outscored their opponents 17-7 at Bridgestone Arena.

And then, it started to go away.

The speed that had been evident in a stunning comeback win in Game 3 was nowhere to be found in the early going. The Predators looked tired, flat and out of sync, especially in the first period when the Ducks set a franchise record for fewest shots allowed in the playoffs.

For the first couple of periods, this wasn’t the up-and-down, track meet type of game that Nashville prefers. Instead, Anaheim ramped up the physicality and played keep-away. The Ducks, who had 20 total shots in Game 3, outshot the Predators 14-2 in the first period on Thursday night.

One of those shots was an absolute cannon.

Catching the Predators on a bad line change, Ducks forward Rickard Rakell stepped over the blue line and uncorked a slap shot that blew past Pekka Rinne. It was a well-placed shot. But still, from that far out and with no one in front, it was one that Rinne would have liked back.

Then again, he probably would have liked if his teammates had mustered more than just two shots on the Ducks’ net in the first period.

“I thought we had some energy and played on our toes,” said Carlyle.

The Predators came out with a little more energy in the second period, outshooting the Ducks 18-12. But midway through, it was Nick Ritchie who gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead on a perfectly placed wrist shot from just above the face-off circle.

Nashville, meanwhile, finally got it going in the third period. With 6:27 remaining, the Predators finally put one past Gibson when P.K. Subban blasted a shot from the point that banked in off the post.

The Predators weren’t done. They were just getting started.

Shortly after Subban’s goal, the Ducks took two more penalties — one for high-sticking and another for slashing — giving the Predators a 5-on-3 man advantage. Nothing came of it. But with the goalie pulled and 34.5 seconds remaining in the period, Viktor Arvidsson set up Filip Forsberg, who had scored the tying goal in Game 3, in front for the tying goal.

This time, however, the Predators couldn’t pull another stunner.

“I’m going to tell you you’re going to get frustrated,” Carlyle said of going into overtime after giving up the lead. “But you have to reset yourself.”

The Ducks did just that. And this series, which has been reset, is now down to best two-out-of-three.